Date: June 29-July 3
This week, I hosted two separate Leadership Development workshops based on the first preliminary scoping of training plans the week prior and conversations that I've had with the admin. These workshops will be improved upon in the coming weeks with the observations from camp and continued conversations with counsellors and admin.
What went well?
I was super surprised by the amount of vulnerability that all counsellors led with despite the very limited time we had to get to know each other. For many of the counsellors, this was their second or third time meeting me so I was worried that the conversations would be slightly dry since there might not be an established level of trust. However, when prompted deep reflection questions, their insights were rich and personal.
Highlights from our conversations about leadership:
1. Counsellors were quick to identify strong attributes of good/bad teams:
| Good Teams | Bad Teams |
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2. When asked how counsellors currently define self-efficacy and what part of self-efficacy is most meaningful to them, this is what they said:
- Knowing your worth in any space
- Learning mindset, constantly wanting to grow and improve
- Trusting yourself in moments of doubt
- Seeking out support from experts in your community
3. Their vulnerable thoughts about limiting beliefs were super touching:
- Two counsellors talked about resonating with the quote “I’m defined by my past mistakes”
- They discussed fixating on past mistakes and being preoccupied with all the shortcomings at the moment that it keeps you from ever taking action
- Pressure from making a mistake in the past and needing to "make up for it" to gain the respect of others back
- Another counsellor talked about resonating with “I must always be available” where they struggle with workplaces that don’t value you besides being a worker and take advantage of you
4. We also did an exercise called goal-setting to the now, where counsellors were asked to identify their purpose of being a counsellor and making ONE actionable and most impactful goal that connects with their purpose. While doing this exercise, many counsellors slipped into the trap of having “large” goals and purposes but struggling to narrow it down into ONE actionable idea. Ideas like being a good “role model” or “leader” often do require complex steps, but this exercise is to help counsellors choose ONE thing that they want to work on the most to achieve those larger purposes. For example, what’s ONE thing you think is most important to be a good leader. Many counsellors talked about the importance of taking the first step through dialogue and play. A similar theme that is in all the goal-setting for these counsellors is having confidence, taking initiative in conversations and learning about the preferences and play-style of each camper.
What could have been done differently?
I think having more time for the workshop would've been great. I felt like for both groups, there was a time constraint that made it so that the 60 minute time block felt a little rushed for a workshop that requires deep reflection. If I were to do it again, I would block out 120 minutes instead to allow for more buffer.
What did I learn about myself when working with others?
While being a facilitator for the workshops, there was a certain level of discomfort I had about silent moments after giving reflection prompts. I tried to fill the gap by jumping in and giving my thoughts when others didn't have any thoughts off the bat. Reflecting on this, I think there's a level of internalizing failure and discomfort in silence. However, moving forward I think trying to sit in silence and allowing people to ruminate without constantly filling these "gaps" can also allow for introspection that is less influenced by my preliminary thoughts.
What did I learn about leadership?
A big part that this workshops reinforced to me about leadership is the importance of knowing oneself to be a stronger leader through vulnerability. A lot of counsellors gave me the feedback that the reflection prompts helped clarify their stance about things they've thought about but maybe didn't really put into coherent ideas. Very importantly, being vulnerable is the gateway for reflection and leadership improvement. Oftentimes, you can't figure out what to work on if you can't put words to it.